How relaxing was your last break from work? Did you manage to unwind properly - or try to cram so much into your precious time off that you came back exhausted?!
It can take a good few days to completely unplug from work when you’re having a break…and inevitably, many of us find we’re starting to dial back in again a couple of days before returning.
According to research published in the
Journal of Happiness Studies, employees should take at least eight days off work to fully unwind and feel the benefits because health and wellbeing peaks on the 8th day of vacation.
But just imagine how much more refreshed you’d feel if you could double those 8 days leave without using up any more entitlement!
Here’s How
England and Wales will enjoy 8 annual bank holidays in 2025 – pretty stingy compared to at least 11 in France, with some in the Alsace-Lorraine region benefitting from an even more generous 13.
But let’s not look a gift horse in the mouth. If you don’t have to work next year’s Easter bank holidays (Friday 18 April and Monday 21 April), here’s how to squeeze the most out of those 2 ‘free’ days.
Simply go to your WorkSmarter account, click on ‘Book a Holiday’ and use the calendar to set the following dates you’ll be away:
Monday 14th to Thursday 17th April and then Tuesday 22nd to Friday 25th April.
You’ll be booking 8 days from your holiday entitlement; topped and tailed with Good Friday and Easter Monday, plus the weekends either side – making a grand total of 16 consecutive days. What’s not to love!
Smarter Holidays
Research shows that, after a break, most of us quickly return to our usual suboptimal levels of health and wellbeing from as early as the first day back.
The journal of Happiness Study suggests that workers should therefore focus more on what they do when on holiday, to reinforce and prolong the positive effects of getting away.
That’s because taking control over your leisure time by engaging in passive activities which are positive, low effort and match your individual preferences, can substantially help you relax and detach better from recent work demands - both during and after the holiday.
Savouring these lovely experiences to the full is also important for recovery from work stress, as is getting enough quality sleep.
Maximise All Your 2025 Leave
Fancy a long weekend away with friends, without anyone having to deplete their holiday allowance?
Perhaps you’d appreciate being able to add an extra free day or two onto the end of your holiday to unpack, recover from jet lag and mentally prepare for getting back to the grindstone.
Almost all UK workers are entitled to at least 28 days paid holiday a year and an employer can choose to include bank holidays as part of the 28 days statutory annual leave.
This means that if you don’t work bank holidays and do have a regular working week, you could use this clever bank holiday strategy for all your leave – providing your manager approves of course!
Simply note all the
2025 bank holidays you’re entitled to and use this method to bump up your time off by linking your leave to the bank holidays and weekends around them, as in the Easter example above.
2025 Ready Reckoner
Live in England and Wales?
8 bank holidays = a possible 61 days off work by requesting 28 days of annual leave.
- New Year: turn 2 days into 5 consecutive days
- Easter: turn 8 days into 16 consecutive days
- Early May Bank Holiday: turn 4 days into 9 consecutive days
- Spring Bank Holiday: turn 4 days into 9 consecutive days
- August Bank Holiday: turn 4 days into 9 consecutive days
- Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year’s Day: turn 6 days into 13 consecutive days. Include one leave day from 2026 if you want to stretch this even further to 16 consecutive days.
Live in Scotland?
It’s hootenanny time as you get 9 bank holidays = a possible 60 days off work by requesting 27 days of annual leave.
Live in Northern Ireland?
You’ll be grand with 10 bank holidays = a possible 65 days off work by requesting 29 days of annual leave.
Considerations
As with all great ideas, the devil’s in the detail.
- First come, first served could result in unfairness and disparity, placing more pressure on some team members.
- Business operations could be at risk if employees take excessive time off or choose to book their leave at peak times, with smaller businesses feeling a greater impact.
- Team morale may be affected when time off isn’t taken evenly, leaving others to cover work and take up the slack.
- Without clear guidelines, it can be difficult for staff to assess what timing and duration of leave is acceptable or even workable.
Making it Work
Ask colleagues to take busy company periods into account, as well as their own work deadlines, team commitments and critical delivery periods for projects.
Set expectations, outline specific procedures that should be followed, and detail the business priorities that everyone should be working to.
The Easiest Way to Plan Staff Leave
WorkSmarter’s all-in-one platform takes all the stress out of holiday management, giving your team full visibility. It’s the ultimate in flexible holiday planning that’s built around your business.
Take a look or book a quick
demo.
